Liu Zhou
in 2014. | office = 12th Premier of the Manchu Republic | term_start = 24th January 2014 | term_end = | predecessor = Jin Pai Nai | vicepremier1 = Yu Qiang | office2 = Chairwoman of the Supreme National Assembly | term_start2 = 8th May 2004 | term_end2 = 19th August 2008 | predecessor2 = Xu Yu-cheng | successor2 = Hu Zhengming | office3 = Secretary of Defence | premier3 = Jin Pai Nai | term_start3 = 8th May 2002 | term_end3 = 3rd May 2004 | predecessor3 = Chang Tingfang | successor3 = Xi Zezung | office4 = Vice-Premier of Manchuria | premier4 = Jin Pai Nai | term_start4 = 13th January 2008 | term_end4 = 24th January 2014 | predecessor4 = Chen Xuezhi | successor4 = Yu Qiang | office5 = Mayoress of | term_start5 = 23rd April 1993 | term_end5 = 8th May 2002 | predecessor5 = Fu Yuejun | successor5 = Luo Liucheng | birth_date = 18th April 1957 (58) | birth_place = Mukden, Manchuria | party = Manzuxiehui Communist Party of Manchuria (1978 - 1989) | nationality = Manchurian | alma_mater = Xu Xiaobao Military Academy Moscow State University | profession = Politician, businesswomen | spouse = Zhang Guanzheng | children = Qiaoqiao, Dingyi, Wangdong | religion = | allegiance = Manchuria | branch = People's Naval Service of Manchuria | serviceyears = 1980 - 1989 | rank = | commands = | battles = | awards = | signature = }} :This is a ; the is '''Liu Zhou' ( : ㄌㄧㄡ ㄓㄡ; : Liú Zhōu) is a Manchurian politician and businesswomen who has served as the incumbent Premier of Manchuria since 2014. Liu was also formally the leader of the Manzuxiehui, the largest party in the Supreme National Assembly and was previously the Chairwoman of the Supreme National Assembly from 2004 to 2009. She was previously the mayor of Harbin from 1995 to 2002, Defence Secretary from 2002 to 2004 and Vice-Premier under Jin Pai Nai from 2009 to 2014. Liu also the current Chairwomen the Heping Group, a leading business and technology conglomerate in Manchuria. She is both the first women and the first Christian to serve as Premier of Manchuria. Liu was born in the city of Mukden in the Shenyang province in 1957 whilst Manchuria was under the government of Qian Yiu-tong, with her parents both being high ranking members of the ruling Communist Party of Manchuria. Through her parents connections she was able to attain a place in the Xu Xiaobao Military Academy and subsequently ascend through the ranks of the People's Naval Service where she served on the first and only Manchurian nuclear submarine. Following the overthrow of the communist government Liu left the navy for the Heping Group which was created and run by her family. After the events of the Orchid Revolution, Liu joined the Manzuxiehui where she became the mayoress for the capital city of in 1993, helping oversee the . As mayor of Harbin she also oversaw several infrastructure and water sanitation projects. She retired from being mayor in 2002 where she served as the Secretary of Defence under Jin Pai Nai. As Defence Secretary Liu oversaw the modernisation and expansion of the Manchu National Defence Force as well as spearheading Manchuria's involvement in the , notably deploying troops in . She was elected to the the Supreme National Assembly in 2000 and retired from the post of Defence Secretary in 2004 when Liu was elected leader of the Manzuxiehui. Liu as part of the Shehuizu branch of the party advocated for and , but worked closely with the more Premier Jin Pai Nai, cracking down on party factionalism. The 2005 legislative elections saw Liu lead the Manzuxiehui to an increased majority where they oversaw cuts to social welfare and austerity measures which were taken ostensibly to simulate the economy following the . In 2009 she was appointed the Vice-Premier of Jin Pai Nai. In 2014 as Jin's term has near ended as Premier Liu announced her candidacy for the Manzuxiehui's premerial nomination, facing competition from Justice Secretary Xian Yuyu and mayor of Ma Yunjiang. After a prolonged campaign Liu beat both candidates to the nomination getting 53% of the Manzuxiehui's vote, where she went on to fight the premeirial election against Raoguo Jixu and Chang Shengzuo. Basing her policy platform on the so-called Five Fundamentals (economic growth, low unemployment, economic modernisation, a strong welfare state and protection of Asian values) Liu went on to win the election with a plurality of the vote (37.9%). Since becoming Premier Liu has concentrated on keeping Manchuria's financial situation stable. Her administration has overseen the fall of inflation in relation to the currency of Manchuria, the Manchu Yuan, attempts to balance the budget through cutting the deficit via limited austerity measures, and forge closer relations with . Manchuria has seen fast economic growth in response to these policies, but has also seen high levels of unemployment and inequality which have been attempted to be tackled through the retention of social welfare programs and the scaling back of austerity. Liu has also sought to strengthen ties with and as well as raise the GDP of Manchuria to over a trillion US$ by 2018. Liu's government has also been accused of , lack of , alleged internet censorship, , and with critics stating that under Liu there has been an increasing trend towards in Manchurian politics. Sine 2013 following the death of her father Liu has been the Chairperson of the Heping Group, with a net worth of 元20 billion (roughly a little over $2.5 billion) making her one of the richest individuals in Manchuria. In 2015 she was ranked the 11th most powerful women by and the most powerful in . Early life Liu Zhou was born on the 18th April 1957 in the city of Mukden, located in the Shenyang Province in the Manchu People's Republic. Her father, Gao Yuzhang, was a member of the Communist Party of Manchuria and formally affiliated with the Manzuxiehui, which had led the short lived Second Manchu Republic. Gao had been a prominent revolutionary during the Manchu Revolution actively resisting the Japanese, and thus was made Party Secretary for Mukden which was then the largest city in Manchuria. Yuzhang's position in the CPM allowed his wife Zihua and Zhou to live in an comfortable apartment in Shenyang. Liu had an elder brother named Bingwen and a younger sister named Zhijun. As a daughter to a member of the " " she enjoyed more material privileges and a higher standard of living to most Manchu citizens. Li is of mixed - descent. In 1962 Liu was enrolled in a local state run primary school. Three years later she joined the Young Communist League, the youth wing of the CPM. In 1968 Yuzhang was promoted to Secretary of Technology and Research, and subsequently moved the family from Mukden to the capital of Harbin. As a young girl, Liu was interested in music and classical Chinese literature - her contemporaries saw her as hard working but largely uninterested in politics. Liu was also notably interested in and which as the daughter of a high ranking official she had a degree of access to. At the age of 18 Liu was able to travel to the where she studied at the for two years, studying Political Science. Rather then perform the usual mandatory two year military service Liu instead enrolled into the naval division of the Xu Xiaobao Military Academy, the foremost military training school in Manchuria. She graduated from the school in 1982 with the rank of . During that time she also joined the CPM on the behest of her father who had been promoted to the CPM's politburo. At the age of 19 she became romantically engaged with fellow military student Zhang Guanzheng, whom she married in 1978. She had her first child, Qiaoqiao, in 1980. Pre-political careers Military career Upon graduating from military school Liu was assigned to the newly created ''Azure''-class Submarine, the first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine created in Manchuria which was built in a joint Soviet-Manchu project. Liu was assigned only a minor role on the submarine, as the Soviet navalmen took on the main roles of handling the missiles and the reactor. In 1985 Liu was promoted to , but was still assigned to the Azure. As a member of the CPM and due to her fathers high ranking position she was fast tracked through the ranks of the navy. In 1988 she was again promoted, this time to , where she served as second-in-command in the Manchu contingent on the Azure, although this role was in practice ceremonial as the Soviets continued to exert control over the Azure. In March 1989 the Azure project was fully transferred to the Manchu authorities. Following the fall of communism in Manchuria a few months later Liu was discharged from the military. Heping Group In early 1990 Liu's father Yuzhang left the Communist Party buying up shares in several former state owned bushinesses as they were sold off by the new military junta. Her father concentrated on several media outlets including a branch of the old state broadcasting network and several newspapers. Headquartered in the in Shenyang this umbrella of media outlets became informally known as the Heping Group. Liu was appointed onto the board of directors to the newly formed television station Manchuria Today as well as become the editor of several papers most prominently the Mukden Ribao, all of which took a stand that supported the Popular Front government. The Mukden Ribao soon became the fastest selling paper in Manchuria. A daily newspaper it became famous for its strongly anti-communist stance and its cheap price, undercutting many of its competitors on the market. Under Liu the Mukden Ribao circulated around 2 million per day. The influence of the Heping Group went beyond the Mukden Ribao with the Group also owning Financial Daily (a paper primarily focussed on business and economics). In 1992 the Group brought the broadsheet Dongbei Jintian which soon outplaced Mukden Ribao as the biggest selling paper in Manchuria. Liu was appointed to the editor of Dongbei Jintian upon its acquisition by the Heping Group, and was said to be responsible for its mass production and distribution. Early political career Mayor of Harbin Liu joined the Manzuxiehui in 1995 announcing she would be pursuing a political career, running for the position of Mayor of the city of Harbin in the mayoral election that year, beating the incumbent Socialist Fu Yuejun. In contrast to her predecessor Liu used an extensive team of advisers and technocrats to help her run Harbin. As mayor of Harbin Liu was primarily responsible for helping organise the which were considered to be one of her primary successes. Liu invested in infrastructure and water sanitation, helping modernise the city whilst also supporting Harbin's industrial centres. This policy was heavily criticised as air pollution worsened under Li who did very little to implement environmental laws. Liu also increased policing giving them the right to far-ranging powers within Harbin, some of which were criticised as being undemocratic. Liu also oversaw the construction of several highways and viaducts to deal with traffic jams; however this process was slow and traffic congestion remained a chronic problem in Harbin. She also supported the financial de-regulation of Harbin's banks believing it would court foreign investment. In 1995 she travelled to in following the partnership of Asahikawa and Harbin. Liu played a major part in the Manxiehui's campaign for the attempted election of premierial Jin Pai Nai where she contributed significantly to the airing of several attacks on Jin's opponents Tao Shiyou and incumbent Du Changhao, with Jin surprisingly coming second despite being seen as a candidate. She subsequently played a major part in his eventual election in 2002 where he beat both the Minzhudang and Socialist candidates. Defence Secretary In 2002 she retired from the mayoralty of Harbin after being appointed by the newly inaugurated Premier Jin Pai Nai to serve in the Executive Council to serve as Secretary of Defence. Liu's pick as Defence Secretary was controversial due to her support of nuclear weapons and her criticisms against her predecessor Chang Tingfang who had spearheaded the dismantlement of Manchuria's nuclear weapons. Liu remains the only Defence Secretary in the Third Republic who participated in non-conscription military service. She ran for a seat in the Supreme National Assembly being elected on the PR list in the 2000 legislative election where she sat on the Subcommittee for Labour and Industrial Affairs. As Defence Secretary Liu campaigned for the military budget to be increased substantially as well as have Manchuria take a greater role in world affairs. Earlier in her term she had the Manchu government sign numerous deals with and for military equipment and hardware. During her time as Defence Secretary Liu was singled out for being "hawkish" and a leading neoconservative in government. This was brought to the forefront following the start of the heavily advocating for Manchu military intervention in . The deployment of the Manchu National Defence Force in Iraq in 2004 was considered to be a notable development in American-Manchurian Relations, with Liu arguing that threatened both east and west. Chairwomen of the Supreme National Assembly In May 2004 Liu resigned from the post of Defence after becoming Chairwomen of the Manzuxiehui, which as the largest party within the Supreme National Assembly also enabled her to take the Chairmanship of the Assembly. As the Chairman of the Manzuxiehui Liu implemented tough party discipline, making the Manzuxiehui a transmission belt for the government whilst coordinating policy with the government to prevent party splits. Jin was the leader of the Heihepai faction of party whilst Liu emerged as the leader of the Shehuizu faction, but was able to compromise with the more right wing government to prevent a party rebellion in the Assembly. Liu's dominant position within the Manzuxiehui led to the party factions to collate into two - the pro-Jin faction and the pro-Liu faction. However Liu constantly asserted her loyalty to the Premier, sating there would no " " under her Chairwomanship. In the 2005 legislative elections the Manzuxiehui led by Liu achieved their best results since 1990, having 410 seats. In 2007 Liu announced she would reign as Chairwomen of the Manzuxiehui at that year's party presidium to serve as Jin Pai Nai's running mate in the 2008 Premierial election. As Jin's running mate in the election the pair won with 51.9% of the vote. Liu's appointment as Vice-Premier was broadly welcomed by the press, who called her a serious candidate to eventually replace Jin in 2014. In August 2008 at the Manzuxiehui's party presidium Liu stepped down as Chairwomen, with Hu Zhengming being elected as her replacement. Vice-Premier As Jin Pai Nai's vice-premier Liu's influence within the Assembly declined allowing the government to push through more rightist policies without compromise. In her role as Vice-Premier Liu was mainly used as a who was able to balance out the Manzuxiehui's numerous factions on behalf of Jin. Liu was described as being a "mediator" who was able to come to consensus's in contrast to Jin's more confrontational style. Li controversially gave full support to Premier Jin in his support of during his time in office, and generally speaking did not oppose Jin's policies in office in order to maintain party unity. 2014 Premierial election As the end of Jin's term approached in mid 2013 Liu was tipped as one of the favourites to succeed him alongside the Mayor of Mukden Ma Yunjiang and then Foreign Secretary Xian Yuyu. Xian and Ma represented the rightist factions of the party whilst Liu was on the left - however Jin refused to endorse any candidate which hampered Xian's chance of gaining the nomination. On the 16th June 2013 Liu announced her candidacy for the Manzuxiehui's nomination for the position of premier, doing so after Ma but before Xian. The Manzuxiehui officially elects its premierial candidate through registered supporters voting in a secret with the candidate with the most preference votes winning the nomination. From the beginning the race was a three way one - Liu campaigned on continuing Jin's policies for economic growth whilst expanding the social safety net in comparison to Xian who focused on national security and Ma fighting corruption. In the first round of preference votes Liu got 49% of votes, Ma 32% and Xian 20%, thereby eliminating Xian. In the second ballot Liu scored 53% of votes and Ma 47%, thereby paving the way for Liu to become the candidate for the Manzuxiehui. Liu appointed popular rightist and financial secretary Yu Qiang as her candidate for Vice-Premier. Liu's campaign championed the "Five Fundamentals" which she outlined as economic growth, low unemployment, economic modernisation, a strong welfare state and protection of Asian values, which she claimed would bring about "happiness and peace". Liu's main opposition came from a former premierial aide Raoguo Jixu representing the Progressive Alliance for Manchuria as well as Socialist Party leader Chang Shengzuo, both of whom criticised Liu and the Manzuxiehui for a lack of transparency and for being corrupt. Liu rebuffed these claims calling them baseless, stating that Raogou had been connected to a more corrupt administration then the Jin Pai Nai government. Despite Raoguo having a strong lead in the polls in the early part of the campaign his support was whittled away after he came under increasing fire for his role in the Du Changhao administration. No candidate gained a majority in the polls which had Liu at the low 40's, Raoguo the mid 30's and Chang the mid 20's. On the election day itself Liu gained a clear plurality with 30,683,008 (37.9%) of votes cast compared to 26,149,370 for Raoguo (32.3%) and 21,129,986 for Chang (26.1%) thereby confirming her victory. When the results were announced Liu made a speech where she thanked her supporters ad promised that her government would commit to fighting corruption, encouraging economic growth and building a strong welfare state. Premier Inauguration Liu was inaugurated as Premier on the 26th January. The inauguration ceremony was attended by 25 foreign representatives including , , , and . Liu stated in her inauguration speech that she would protect Manchurians and their culture whilst building positive relations with "every country". Executive Council :Liu Zhou Government Shortly after her inauguration Liu undertook a radical reshuffle of the Executive Council. 13 Orgburo secretaries were sacked - the Secretaries for the Interior, Defence, Justice, Education, Labour and Industrial Affairs, Welfare and Employment, Development, Housing, Transport, Agriculture, Communications, Health and Commerce in the largest single Executive Council reshuffle, leading to it being nicknamed the " ". The highest profile secretary to survive the reshuffle was Zhang Tianlian, the Financial Secretary. Critics alleged that the reshuffle was a purge intended to strengthen Liu's powerbase within the party. Many of Liu's new appointees were like Liu former member of the communist party or connected to the Heping Group (Communications Secretary Xiao Liang had been on the board of directors for Manchuria Today) producing strong criticisms of . Of the 23 member Executive Council, 5 members (Sun Xue, Yang Zengyu, Hui Zhixin, Li Xunwei and Liu Zhou herself) were women. Domestic policy Economics Liu inherited a weak economy from Jin that nonetheless had somewhat recovered from the and continued Jin's economic polices until March 2014 when Manchuria underwent economic contraction. To combat this recession Liu stated that she would embark on several reforms to the Manchu economy to combat the recession, which would include a short term-stimulus package followed by a longer term austerity programme. This policy was widely thought to have been drafted by Vice-Premier Yu Qiang prompting the government's economic policy to be dubbed "Yuconomics". Liu introduced more government spending to childcare and health whilst cutting it in relation to education, subsidies and welfare programmes going against her campaign promises to create a welfare state. Another key policy Liu took in regards to economics was to liberalise the of the New Manchu Yuan which had previously been tightly controlled by the Manchu Central Bank. Liu's most controversial economic policy was to Manchu Airways in mid 2014, with Liu justifying the privatising by stating that Manchu Airways had been a major source of corruption. Liu has subsequently raised personal income taxes whilst cutting corporation tax to 21% to attract foreign investment. Liu has stated that her government will continue to intervene in the economy and maintain the of government, big business and organised labour. Under Liu the economy has grown back to pre-2014 recession levels, but critics allege that growth has been uneven and that Liu's policies have "favoured the rich and corporations but not the poor and middle classes" as wages amongst the latter have fallen. Liu's government has stated that it currently aims to lower the unemployment rate from 5% and implement a of 33%. In April 2015, Liu announced that the Manchu government was launching the "Manchuria 2030" project that aimed to propel Manchuria into the top ten economies in 2030 by encouraging foreign businesses to invest in Manchuria and for Manchuria to co-currently expand its manufacturing and service sectors. In order to do this Liu called for the removal of red tape, extensive deregulation, further liberalisation of external trade policies, more extensive privatisation and deep cuts in government spending. Liu also announced that the heads of several state owned companies would be removed from their posts citing chronic corruption. Liu also said that her government would "melt the so we can maintain positive economic growth". As part of her Manchuria 2030 strategy Liu also announced that the government will switch funding from social programmes to scientific research and development subsidies, with the government aiming to make Manchuria into a technology and innovation hub. In a controversial move, Liu has linked scientific research institutions with state owned enterprises mimicking a similar policy that was pursued by communist leader Tao Shiyou in the 1980's. Social Infrastructure Education Security Human rights Environment Healthcare Foreign policy China Liu has made strengthening ties with a top priority in her foreign policy, making her first state visit to on the 17th February 2014 to meet Chinese President and . Liu has stated that Manchuria's future is tied to China's and that as such China and Manchuria should share a special relationship, as well as asserting that China will be the "great driving global power in the 21st century". Liu has supported China in all its territorial disputes in the and with . It is thought that Premier Liu and Xi have a good personal relationship, with Liu being reportedly impressed at Xi's assertive, nationalist ruling style. To encourage closer relations Liu has proposed expanding joint Chinese-Manchu enterprises as well as forming close military and intelligence sharing ties. Foreign analysts have stated that after years of trying to court the United States whilst maintaining influence over the Korean Peninsula have failed for Manchuria, Liu's bold alliance with China has shifted Manchuria's foreign policy dramatically which was previously always somewhat apprehensive to China. Whilst relations remain overwhelmingly positive, Manchuria's stance on the DPRK has been highlighted as the stumbling block in Sino-Manchu relations due to Xi's more critical approach to the DPRK. Liu has also tried to strengthen Russo-Sino relations to create a tripartite alliance between China, Russia and Manchuria that could serve as an alternative power bloc to the United States in . North and South Korea Liu has continued Manchuria's strategic alliance with re-affirming the 1953 friendship treaty, but relations have become increasingly tense during her term. Harbin alongside Beijing are both recognised to be the primary backers of Pyongyang, but relations have declined mainly due to the DPRK's increasingly aggressive foreign policy, in particular its nuclear program. According to a Chinese official, Liu's Manchu government is more pro-DPRK then China, but doesn't trust especially after the purging of . Following the Liu condemned the test calling it a violation of international law, but urged all parties to remain civil. She stated that Manchuria would try its best to "get the DPRK back to the so we can achieve peace in the region." Liu has also encouraged the DPRK to embark on stringent economic reform, and states that reunification can only be achieved through'' "a unity of both states, not an annexation of one over the other" implying that the Manchu government is still firmly opposed to the collapse of the DPRK regime and subsequently will continue to support the DPRK. Whilst DPRK-Manchu relations have worsened this has been compensated with a slight thaw in relations with the which had deteriorated drastically under Jin Pai Nai and ROK mainly over differences with the DPRK. Since the inauguration of both and Liu Zhou there has been a push to improve Manchu-ROK relations, with Li visiting the ROK in December 2015 to discuss furthering economic ties as well as mapping out peace with the DPRK. Trade deals were signed at the visit with Li stating that ROK-Manchu relations will help benefit the technology focused Korean economy and the heavy industrial one of Manchuria. Russia and Central Asia Japan United States and Canada Southeast Asia and Oceania Middle East ad North Africa Liu's foreign policy within the Middle East has been largely a continuation of Jin Pai Nai's post-2011 which had seen a rebalancing with Manchuria's previously strong ties with to favour closer ties with and . Since the escalation of the thanks to the rise of Manchuria became marginally more supportive of the of , although most of this support was simple lip service. However following in late 2015 Manchuria has actively supported the with military equipment and logistical aid. Due to Manchuria's support for Syria relations with (which were reasonably strong until 2011) and have deteriorated, with Manchuria condemning Turkey after it in late 2015. Relations with Israel have suffered under Liu who has been more vocal in her opposition to Israeli settlements in the calling them "''obstacles to peace". Liu was especially critical of accusing Israel of committing war crimes against the citizens of Gaza. Following the Liu congratulated Israeli Prime Minister and stated she wants to pursue closer economic ties with Israel. However she also commented that Israel must "work harder to achieve a to help stabilise the region ad finally bring peace" in what some interpreted as a criticism of Netanyahu's comments in the campaign which indicated that he would not allow a . Manchuria's strategic alliance with Syria has seen it create closer ties with which were already strong under Jin Pai Nai, and with the country of Qatif with Liu Zhou visiting the presidential inauguration of Abdulaziz Al-Qazwini in 2015. This has led to some commentators noting that Liu's Middle Eastern policy has largely followed Russia's quite closely and has established itself as staunchly pro- . Although the Manchu government has condemned the prospect of Iran attaining nuclear weapons, Liu has remained quiet on the subject. Europe Liu has encouraged greater ties with the , in particular the countries , Britain, and . Liu has visited , and to speak with European leaders , and to discuss closer ties. Liu has been especially supportive of Britain under Liu with both pursing closer with China. Liu has also expanded economic partnerships with Germany, France, and other EU member states. Manchuria maintains a very close relationship with Poland due to a large number of Manchurians citizens living in Poland having emigrated in the 1970's with both nation having close economic and political ties. Relations however have deteriorated since late 2015 when the attained a majority government in the that year, with Manchu officials worried of an upsurge of within Poland and the PiS's lack of willingness to engage with Manchuria (a situation previously observed during the ). Liu has endeavoured to take a neutral stance in response to the protests and subsequent in that ousted from office with the official Manchu government response being that it "supported the democratic will of Ukraine", which some interpreted as being supportive of the revolution and others supportive of Yanukovych who was elected President. Following the Manchuria was silent on the issue, abstaining from the UN vote on the matter. The outbreak of the has seen Manchuria voice support for a diplomatic solution, but critics allege that the Liu government has provided military aid to the and has criticised the government for fuelling that could "seriously endanger reconciliation and the unity of Ukraine". Latin America Public perception Political views Personal life Foreign visits Category:Individuals Category:Manchuria